Nigeria Army Aircraft Used Against Boko Haram Lost

Nigeria Air Force’s Alpha Jet (NAF 466) used in operation against the dreaded Boko Haram sect is reportedly missing around Adamawa state.

[caption id="attachment_1719" align="aligncenter" width="448"] The destroyed terrorists operational vehicles after Konduga battle[/caption]

This was made known by the Defence Headquarters spokesman, Chris Olukolade who said that the carrier and its two pilots have not been located since Friday.

Major General Olukolade said in his statement today that the aircraft “left Yola at about 10:45a.m on 12 September 2014 on a routine operational mission and was expected back by 12:00 noon”.

“Since then, all efforts to establish contact with the aircraft have not yielded any positive result,” the statement said.

READ ALSO: Boko Haram Invades Two More Borno Communities

He however revealed that the Air Force are actively trying to make contact with the missing crew.

Sources in the Military told PREMIUM TIMES that the plane has been intensely bombing Boko Haram fighters in the area.

READ ALSO: Troops Repel Boko Haram Attack, Kill Scores

The Nigerian Army has been intensely bombing Boko Haram insurgents in and around Bama, Borno State’s other most important city after Maidugiri.

The military intensified the use of aerial bombardment after pulling off their men on the ground.

The aerial bombardment has proven quite successful as the insurgents are said to have lost extensive losses in men and equipment.

The military have revealed that after their victorious operation in Konduga, they recovered three Hilux vehicle and one Buffalo vehicle mounted with heavy anti-aircraft weapons.

As of now, it is still unclear whether the missing aircraft was shot down by Boko Haram fighters or simply involved in an accident.

READ ALSO: Army Releases Photos From Konduga Battle

This is the second time in two months that Nigeria’s aircraft will disappear flying over the Boko Haram infested region.

On July 21 Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Mi-35 helicopter had crashed while on a training mission. Two officers on board survived while the pilot sadly lost his life.